The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the present invention relates to prefastened disposable absorbent articles which have an adjustable, pretensioned waistband fastening system to maintain the articles about the waist of the wearer.
It is desired that absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants or incontinence garments provide a close, comfortable fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. Moreover, it is desirable that such absorbent articles, after being soiled, can be removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner without undesirably soiling the care giver or surrounding area such as the clothes of the wearer. In certain circumstances, it is also desirable that such absorbent articles are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily pull the article on and easily remove the article if it has not been soiled. For example, such absorbent articles can assist in the toilet training of children.
Conventional diapers are not provided in a prefastened condition and have typically included a front waist portion and a back waist portion which are releasably connected about the hips of the wearer during use by conventional fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners. For example, the conventional fasteners have typically included a pair of fasteners, such as adhesive tape tabs, located on the outermost corners of the diaper in the back waist region of the diaper and a complimentary fastener, such as a taping panel, located on the outer surface of the outer cover of the diaper in the front waist portion of the diaper. In such a configuration, the diaper has been positioned between the legs of the wearer and the adhesive tape tabs have been releasably attached to the taping panel to secure the back waist portion to the front waist portion of the diaper to secure the diaper about the waist of the wearer. Such conventional diapers are easy to fasten about and remove from the wearer after use without undesirably soiling the caregiver. However, such conventional diapers are not prefastened before use and thus are not configured to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer when the fasteners are attached.
Several attempts have been made to provide absorbent articles which effectively contain body exudates and are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer. For example, some conventional absorbent articles, such as conventional training pants, have included integral side panels which connect the front waist portion to the back waist portion of the absorbent article. The side panels have been made stretchable such that the waist opening of the absorbent article can expand to allow the absorbent article to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer if desired. Such side panels have also been designed such that they may be torn to remove the training pant from the wearer after it has been soiled.
However, many of such attempts have not been completely satisfactory. For example, absorbent articles such as training pants have not always been able to achieve a close conforming fit to the wearer while still being able to expand enough to be pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer. Often such training pants fit the waist of the wearer loosely which can undesirably result in leaks. As a result, many of such training pant articles have not contained bodily exudates as effectively as conventional diaper-type articles which can be adjusted to achieve a more conforming fit to the wearer. Moreover, the removal of soiled absorbent articles which have integral side panels, such as conventional training pants, has not always been completely satisfactory. For example, the side panels have been difficult to tear when attempting to remove the article from the waist of the wearer instead of pulling the article down over the hips of the wearer.
Accordingly, despite the attempts to develop improved absorbent articles, there remains a need for absorbent articles which can provide the benefits of conventional training pants and conventional diapers. That is, there remains a need for absorbent articles which conform to the wearer to effectively contain bodily exudates, which are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips and buttocks of the wearer, and which are readily secured about and removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner. In particular, there is a need for disposable absorbent articles which include waist sections which may be releasably prefastened such that the article can be reliably pulled on over the wearers legs and hips and which are adjustable once in the proper position to provide a close, conforming fit about the waist of the wearer.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, a new prefastened disposable absorbent article which has an adjustable, pretensioned waistband fastening system has been discovered. In one aspect, the present invention concerns a prefastened disposable absorbent article which includes a pair of primary fasteners which are located on opposed side edges of the article in one of the waist regions and which overlap and releasably engage the opposite waist region of the absorbent article to provide the prefastened absorbent article. The prefastened absorbent article also includes a belt located in one of the waist regions which is capable of being elongated and which provides a pretension on the waist region when the primary fasteners are releasably engaged. The belt includes opposed end portions, a latent segment and an elastic segment.
In a particular embodiment, the absorbent article includes at least one secondary fastener attached to one of the end portions of the belt. Upon elongation of the belt, the secondary fastener is configured to releasably engage the opposite waist region to conform the waist regions to the wearer""s body after the prefastened absorbent article is pulled on over a wearer""s hips. The absorbent article may also include a pair of secondary fasteners attached to the opposed end portions of the belt. In such a configuration, the secondary fasteners and opposed end portions of the belt are configured to extend over the primary fasteners to releasably engage the opposite waist region of the absorbent article to conform the waist regions to the wearer""s body after the prefastened absorbent article is pulled on over a wearer""s hips.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a prefastened disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions and a pair of opposed side edges. The absorbent article includes an outer cover, an absorbent chassis which is connected to the outer cover, a pair of primary fasteners and a belt with a pair of secondary fasteners attached thereto. The absorbent chassis includes a bodyside liner and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner. The primary fasteners are located on the laterally opposed side edges of the back waist region of the absorbent article and are configured to releasably engage an outer surface of the absorbent article in the front waist region of the absorbent article. The belt is located in the back waist region of the absorbent article and defines a pair of opposed end portions, a pair of opposed elastic segments and a latent segment between the elastic segments. The secondary fasteners are located on the opposed end portions of the belt and are configured to releasably engage the outer surface of the front waist region to further conform the waist regions to a wearer""s body after the prefastened absorbent article is pulled on over a wearer""s hips.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a prefastened disposable absorbent article which defines an absorbent, a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions and a pair of opposed side edges. The absorbent article includes a pair of primary fasteners and a waist size adjustment mechanism. The primary fasteners are located on the opposed side edges in one of the waist regions and are releasably engaged to the opposite waist region of the disposable absorbent article thereby defining a waist perimeter dimension. The waist size adjustment mechanism is located in one of the waist regions and provides an initial pretension on the waist regions of the absorbent article when the absorbent article is at the waist perimeter dimension. In use, the waist size adjustment mechanism is also capable of reducing the waist perimeter dimension of the absorbent article without releasing the primary fasteners to conform the waist regions to a wearer""s body after the prefastened absorbent article has been pulled on.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a package of prefastened disposable absorbent articles containing absorbent articles of the different aspects of the present invention.
In most embodiments, the belt generally defines a first length when applied to the absorbent article and a second length which is less than the first length after the latent segment is activated to provide the pretension on the waist region. The belt is also capable of being elongated to a third length which is greater than the first length. The latent segment of the belt may be provided by a latent material which may or may not be elastically extensible after activation. In a particular embodiment, the belt includes two elastic segments and the latent segment is located between the two elastic segments.
The present invention advantageously provides a prefastened disposable absorbent article which includes an adjustable, pretensioned waistband fastening system for improved fit and performance. The absorbent article of the present invention is capable of being reliably pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to assist in the toilet training of the wearer similar to conventional training pants. The pretensioned waistband fastening system allows the waist of the article to expand while being pulled on over the hips of the wearer while still providing tension for a close fit at the waist after the article is in proper position on the wearer. Moreover, the adjustability of the waistband fastening system allows the caregiver to cinch up the waist of the article for a closer more conforming fit if desired. Further, similar to conventional diapers, the absorbent article of the present invention can advantageously be applied to and removed from the wearer after it has been soiled with relative ease and cleanliness.